Flow control assembly

ABSTRACT

A system includes a flow control assembly having a first portion configured to be positioned within and coupled to a first passageway formed in a wellhead component and a second portion configured to be coupled to a second passageway formed in a body that is configured to be coupled to the wellhead component. An actuator of the second portion is configured to drive a valve member of the first portion into an open position to enable fluid flow across the flow control assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/643,015, filed on Jul. 6, 2017, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,400,545,on Sep. 3, 2019, and entitled “FLOW CONTROL ASSEMBLY”, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety, and which claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/359,984, filed Jul. 8,2016, entitled “FLOW CONTROL ASSEMBLY,” which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present invention,which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed tobe helpful in providing the reader with background information tofacilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the presentinvention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statementsare to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Natural resources, such as oil and gas, are used as fuel to powervehicles, heat homes, and generate electricity, in addition to a myriadof other uses. Once a desired resource is discovered below the surfaceof the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed toaccess and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore oroffshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, suchsystems generally include a wellhead through which the resource isextracted. These wellheads may have wellhead assemblies that include awide variety of components and/or conduits, such as various casings,hangers, valves, fluid conduits, and the like, that control drillingand/or extraction operations.

In some typical systems, a passageway may extend through a wellheadcomponent to facilitate fluid injection into and/or fluid extractionfrom a wellbore. In some cases, a flow control assembly, such as a valveremoval (VR) plug assembly, may be positioned within the passageway. Theconstruction of such flow control assemblies may affect fluid flow intoand out of the wellbore, and thus, it would be desirable to improve theconstruction of these flow control assemblies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention willbecome better understood when the following detailed description is readwith reference to the accompanying figures in which like charactersrepresent like parts throughout the figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a valve removal (VR) plugassembly in a closed position, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the VR plug assembly of FIG. 1in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the VR plug assembly of FIG. 1in the open position with a pin engaging a valve member, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the VR plug assembly of FIG. 1after separation of a body from a wellhead component, in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a VR plug assembly having anenergizing plug body coupled to a spacer that is positioned between avalve body and a wellhead component, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a VR plug assembly havingvarious flow paths, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of thepresent invention. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concisedescription of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actualimplementation may not be described in the specification. It should beappreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation,as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a developmenteffort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a flow controlassembly (e.g., valve assembly) configured to facilitate fluid flow intoand/or out of a wellhead component. The flow control assembly disclosedherein may be adapted for use within any suitable portion of a mineralextraction system that is configured to extract minerals (e.g.,hydrocarbons) and/or inject other substances, such as chemicals used toimprove the recovery of the mineral resources. Furthermore, the flowcontrol assembly may be utilized within mineral extraction systems thatare land-based (e.g., a surface system) or sub-sea (e.g., a sub-seasystem). To facilitate discussion, certain examples provided hereinrelate to a valve removal (VR) plug assembly that is configured to bepositioned within a passageway (e.g., outlet or channel) formed in awellhead component, such as a tubing head. However, it should beunderstood that the disclosed components and features may be adapted foruse with other types of flow control assemblies, such as any of avariety of gate valves, check valves, gas lift valves, or the like,positioned within any suitable wellhead component, such as a tubinghead, a casing head, a Christmas tree, a surface manifold, or the like.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of anexample of a flow control assembly, such as a valve removal (VR) plugassembly 10, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.As shown, a first portion 12 of the VR plug assembly 10 is positionedwithin a passageway 14 (e.g., outlet or channel) formed in a wellheadcomponent 16 (e.g., annular wellhead component, such as a tubing head)that defines a bore 18 that extends toward a sub-surface wellbore, and asecond portion 20 of the VR plug assembly 10 is positioned within apassageway 22 (e.g., channel) formed in a body 24 (e.g., valve body)that is coupled to the wellhead component 16. As shown, the body 24 iscoupled to the wellhead component 16 via one or more fasteners 26 (e.g.,threaded fasteners, such as bolts). When the body 24 is coupled to thewellhead component 16, the passageways 14, 22 are aligned with oneanother to enable the VR plug assembly 10 to extend into and between thepassageways 14, 22. In some embodiments, the body 24 may support orhouse a valve 28 that is configured to adjust a fluid flow from a fluidsource 30 into the passageway 22. For example, in some embodiments, thevalve 28 is configured to move between an open position in which thevalve 28 enables fluid flow into the passageway 22, and a closedposition in which the valve 28 blocks fluid flow into the passageway 22.While the valve 28 is illustrated schematically in a position adjacentto the body 24 for clarity, it should be understood that the valve 28and its related components may be supported, housed, or internal to thebody 24. To facilitate discussion, the VR plug assembly 10, and therelated components, may be described with reference to an axial axis ordirection 34, a radial axis or direction 36, and a circumferential axisor direction 38. As shown, the VR plug assembly 10 extends between afirst end 35 (e.g., a distal end) and a second end 37 (e.g., proximalend).

The first portion 12 of the VR plug assembly 10 includes a plug body 40(e.g., annular plug body) configured to be positioned within thepassageway 14 of the wellhead component 16. As shown, a radially-outersurface 42 (e.g., annular surface) of the plug body 40 is configured tocontact and to couple to a radially-inner surface 44 (e.g., annularsurface) of the wellhead component 16. For example, in the illustratedembodiment, the radially-outer surface 42 and the radially-inner surface44 include respective threads 46 that are configured to threadablycouple the plug body 40 to the wellhead component 16 at a threadedinterface. As shown, a valve member 48 is positioned within a cavity 45(e.g., central and axially-extending cavity) of the plug body 40. Theillustrated valve member 48 includes a first stem 50 (e.g., distalstem), a seal member 52, and a second stem 54 (e.g., proximal stem). Theseal member 52 is positioned between the first stem 50 and the secondstem 54 along the axial axis 34. The seal member 52 has an expandeddiameter (e.g., as compared to the stems 50, 54), and a radially-outersurface 56 (e.g., annular surface) of the seal member 52 is configuredto contact and/or seal against (e.g., form an annular seal 59 between) acorresponding portion 58 of the radially-inner surface 44 of the plugbody 40 when the VR plug assembly 10 is in the illustrated closedposition 60. Thus, in the closed position 60, the annular seal 59 blocksfluid flow axially across the VR plug assembly 10. As shown, theradially-outer surface 56 of the seal member 52 and the correspondingportion 58 of the radially-inner surface 44 of the plug body 40 aretapered (e.g., conical surfaces) in opposite directions along the axialaxis 34 of the VR plug assembly 10 to facilitate formation of theannular seal 59. In certain embodiments, a sealing ring 62 (e.g.,annular sealing ring) may be provided about the radially-outer surface56 of the seal member 52 to form the annular seal 59. The sealing ring62 may be formed from any suitable material, such as a metal (e.g.,metal or metal alloy) and/or an elastomer material.

In the illustrated embodiment, a biasing member 68 (e.g., spring)supported by a seat 70 (e.g., annular seat) biases the valve member 48away from the seat 70 and toward the closed position 60, as shown byarrow 72. As shown, in the closed position 60, the biasing member 68 isin an expanded position. As discussed in more detail below, fluid flow(e.g., from the fluid source 30 via operation of the valve 28) withinthe passageway 22 may drive the valve member 48 away from thecorresponding portion 58 of the radially-inner surface 44 of the plugbody 40, thereby creating a gap (e.g., breaking or opening the annularseal 59) to enable the fluid to flow through the VR plug assembly 10into the bore 18. Thus, the first portion 12 of the VR plug assembly 10may be configured to generally operate as a check valve (e.g., one-wayvalve or non-return valve) that enables fluid flow across the VR plugassembly 10 in a first direction 61 and that blocks fluid flow acrossthe VR plug assembly 10 in a second direction 62.

The second portion 20 of the VR plug assembly 10 includes an energizingplug body 80 (e.g., annular energizing plug body or annular pin supportstructure) configured to be positioned within the passageway 22 of thebody 24. As shown, a radially-outer surface 82 (e.g., annular surface)of the energizing plug body 80 is configured to contact and to couple toa radially-inner surface 84 (e.g., annular surface) of the body 24. Forexample, in the illustrated embodiment, the radially-outer surface 82and the radially-inner surface 84 include respective threads 86 that areconfigured to threadably couple the energizing plug body 80 to the body24 at a threaded interface. The energizing plug body 80 may bepositioned within the passageway 22 such that a contacting surface 88(e.g., axially-facing contacting surface) of the energizing plug body 80contacts and/or seals against a contacting surface 90 (e.g.,axially-facing contacting surface) of the plug body 40 when the body 24is coupled to the wellhead component 16.

As shown, a pin 92 (e.g., actuator, axially-extending actuator) ispositioned within a cavity 93 (e.g., central and/or axially-extendingcavity) of the energizing plug body 80. The pin 92 may be coupled to theenergizing plug body 80, such as via corresponding threads 94. Asdiscussed in more detail below, the pin 92 may be configured to moveaxially relative to the energizing plug body 80 (e.g., via rotation ofthe pin 92) until a contacting surface 96 (e.g., axially-facingcontacting surface) of the pin 92 contacts and exerts an axial force ona contacting surface 98 (e.g., axially-facing contacting surface) of thevalve member 48, thereby driving the valve member 48 axially relative tothe plug body 40 and creating the gap between the seal member 52 of thevalve member 48 and the plug body 40. Thus, the second portion 20 of theVR plug assembly 10 may include structural components that areconfigured to mechanically override the biasing member 68 and driveand/or hold the VR plug assembly 10 in the open position. Such aconfiguration may enable venting the bore 18 or flowing fluid from thebore 18 into the passageway 22 in the second direction 63 across the VRplug assembly 10 while the VR plug assembly 10 is mechanically held inthe open position.

It should be understood that various seals (e.g., annular seals,gaskets, or the like) may be positioned about the VR plug assembly 10.For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a seal 100 (e.g., annularseal) is positioned between the plug body 40 and the wellhead component16 proximate to the distal end 35 of the VR plug assembly 10, and agasket 102 (e.g., annular gasket) is positioned between the wellheadcomponent 16 and the body 24.

FIG. 2 illustrates the VR plug assembly 10 in an open position 110. Inthe open position 110, the seal member 52 of the valve member 48 isseparated from the plug body 40 by a gap 112 (e.g., annular gap) toenable fluid flow axially across the VR plug assembly 10. Thus, in theopen position 110, the passageway 22 and the bore 18 are in fluidcommunication with one another, such as via one or more passageways 76(e.g., axially-extending passageways) formed in the seat 70, thecavities 45, 93, the gap 112, and/or one or more passageways 114 (e.g.,radially and/or axially-extending passageways) formed in the energizingplug body 80. As shown, in the open position 110, the biasing member 68is in a compressed position.

As noted above, the VR plug assembly 10 may be driven into the openposition 110 by fluid within the passageway 22. For example, when thevalve 28 is controlled to the open position to enable fluid flow fromthe fluid source 30 into the passageway 22, as shown by arrow 32, thefluid may travel through the VR plug assembly 10, as shown by arrows 64.The fluid may exert a force 66 on the valve member 48. When fluidpressure exceeds a threshold pressure, the force 66 overcomes thebiasing force of the biasing member 68, compresses the biasing member68, and drives the valve member 48 axially relative to the plug body 40,thereby creating the gap 112 between the seal member 52 of the valvemember 48 and the plug body 40. Accordingly, the fluid may flow in thefirst direction across the VR plug assembly 10 and into the bore 18. Inthis manner, the VR plug assembly 10 may enable fluid injection into thebore 18.

As noted above, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to mechanicallyoverride the biasing member 68 and/or hold the VR plug assembly 10 inthe open position 110, which may enable venting the bore 18 or flowingfluid from the bore 18 into the passageway 22 in the second direction 63across the VR plug assembly 10, for example. With the foregoing in mind,FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the VR plug assembly 10 in theopen position 110 with the pin 92 mechanically supporting (e.g.,contacting, holding, exerting an axial force against) the valve member48 to maintain the gap 112 and enable fluid flow across the VR plugassembly 10.

In operation, a tool 116 (e.g., an energizing tool) may be utilized tomove the pin 92 axially relative to the energizing plug body 80. Forexample, the tool 116 may be utilized to move the pin 92 from a firstposition (e.g., retracted position) to a second position 111 (e.g.,extended or advanced position) in which the pin 92 contacts and drivesthe valve member 48 from the closed position 60 shown in FIG. 1 to theopen position 110 shown in FIG. 3. In certain embodiments, the tool 116may be inserted into and/or coupled (e.g., threadably coupled) to acorresponding recess 118 of the pin 92 (e.g., tool-engageable recess,such as a hex-shaped recess or polygonal recess, that forms atorque-transfer interface. Rotation of the tool 116 (e.g., via anothertool, extended handle, or actuator) may cause rotation of the pin 92,and thus, may cause the pin 92 to move in the axial direction 34relative to the energizing plug body 80 as the pin 92 rotates throughthe corresponding threads 94 of the energizing plug body 80.

Eventually, due to rotation of the pin 92, the contacting surface 96 ofthe pin 92 may contact the contacting surface 98 of the valve member 48and may exert a force 120 (e.g., axial force) that drives the valvemember 48 in the axial direction 34 relative to the plug body 40. Inthis manner, the VR plug assembly 10 may be mechanically driven to beheld in the open position 110, and may enable fluid flow in the seconddirection 63 across the VR plug assembly 10. In such cases, the VR plugassembly 10 may be returned to the closed position 60 by rotating thetool 116 in an opposite direction that causes the pin 92 to retract andmove away from the valve member 48, which in turn enables the biasingmember 68 to drive the valve member 48 into the closed position 60.

In certain circumstances, the body 24 may separate from the wellheadcomponent 16. For example, another component or piece of equipment maybe inadvertently dropped on or contact the body 24, causing thefasteners 26 to break and causing the body 24 to separate from thewellhead component 16. Advantageously, certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure enable the VR plug assembly 10 to automatically movefrom the open position 110 to the closed position 60 in which the valvemember 48 seals against the plug body 40 when the body 24 separates fromthe wellhead component 16. With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 4 is across-sectional side view of the VR plug assembly 10 after separation ofthe body 24 from the wellhead component 16, in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown, the first portion 12 of the VR plug assembly 10 (e.g., theplug body 40 and valve member 48) remains coupled to the passageway 14of the wellhead component 16, and the second portion 20 of the VR plugassembly 10 (e.g., the energizing plug body 80 and the pin 92) separatesfrom the first portion 12 of the VR plug assembly 10 as the body 24separates from the wellhead component 16. In some embodiments, thesecond portion 20 of the VR plug assembly 10 may remain coupled to thebody 24 as the body 24 separates from the wellhead component 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, the energizing plug body 80 is coupled(e.g., threadably coupled) to the body 24, and the pin 92 is coupled(e.g., threadably coupled) to the energizing plug body 80. As shown, theplug body 40 is coupled (e.g., threadably coupled) to the wellheadcomponent 16, and the valve member 48 is coupled (e.g., threadablycoupled) to the plug body 40. Accordingly, as the body 24 separates fromthe wellhead component 16, the energizing plug body 80 and the pin 92move away from the wellhead component 16. Once the pin 92 separates fromthe valve member 48, the pin 92 no longer biases the valve member 48 tothe open position 110 and the biasing member 68 drives the valve member48 into the closed position 60. Thus, the VR plug assembly 10automatically closes in response to a breakage or separation of the body24.

The VR plug assembly 10 may include various features to facilitateseparation of the second portion 20 from the first portion 12 and/orfacilitate automatic return of the VR plug assembly 10 to the closedposition 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the VR plug assembly10 is in the open position 110, the energizing plug body 80 and/or thepin 92 do not overlap the plug body 40 and/or the valve member 48 alongthe axial axis 34. Thus, when the body 24 separates from the wellheadcomponent 16, the second portion 20 of the VR plug assembly 10 may notbe trapped or entangled by components of the first portion 12 of the VRplug assembly 10. In certain embodiments, the components of the secondportion 20 (e.g., the energizing plug body 80 and/or the pin 92) are notdirectly coupled to the wellhead component 16 or components of the firstportion 12 of the VR plug assembly 10. In certain embodiments, thecomponents of the second portion 20 (e.g., the energizing plug body 80and/or the pin 92) do not directly physically contact the wellheadcomponent 16 and/or only contact components of the first portion 12 ofthe VR plug assembly 10 via respective axially-facing surfaces 88, 90,96, 98.

As noted above, the VR plug assembly 10 may include various passageways,such as the passageways 76, 114 to facilitate fluid flow across the VRplug assembly 10. These passageways 76, 114 may be positioned at anysuitable location about the VR plug assembly 10. Additionally, anysuitable number of passageways 76, 114 may be positioned at discretelocations about the circumference of the VR plug assembly 10.Furthermore, the fluid from the fluid source 30 may enter the passageway22 at any suitable axial location, and the fluid from the bore 18 mayexit the passageway 22 at any suitable axial location. For example, oneor more outlets may extend radially through the energizing plug body 80,the body 24, the plug body 40, and/or other structures associated withthe VR plug assembly 10 to facilitate fluid flow across the VR plugassembly 10.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a VR plug assembly 150 in whichthe energizing plug body 80 is coupled to a spacer 152 (e.g., annularsupport structure) that is positioned between a valve body 154 (e.g.,body supporting and/or housing the valve 28) and the wellhead component16 along the axial axis 34, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In FIGS. 1-5, the energizing plug body 80 isdirectly coupled to the body 24, which may be a valve body supporting orhousing the valve 28. However, in certain embodiments, the spacer 152may enable use of the VR plug assembly 150 with a variety of differentvalve bodies and/or existing valve bodies (e.g., the VR plug assembly150 may be compatible with and/or retrofitted to various valve bodies).In the illustrated embodiment, separation of the spacer 152 from thewellhead component 16 while the VR plug assembly 150 is in the openposition 110 (e.g., held in the open position 110 via the pin 92) causesthe pin 92 to separate from the valve member 48 and enables the valvemember 48 to return to the closed position 60, in a similar manner asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a VR plug assembly 160, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In theillustrated embodiment, the VR plug assembly 160 includes a plug body162 (e.g., annular plug body) that is configured to be coupled to thewellhead component 16. For example, the plug body 162 may be positionedwithin and threadably coupled (e.g., via threads 164) to a passageway(e.g., the passageway 14) of the wellhead component 16. As shown, asupport ring 166 (e.g., annular support ring) is positioned within acavity 165 of the plug body 162 and is coupled (e.g., threadably coupledvia threads 165) to the plug body 162. The support ring 166 maycircumferentially surround and/or support a biasing member 168 (e.g.,spring) that is configured to bias a valve member 170 toward the closedposition (e.g., the closed position 60) in which a seal member 172 ofthe valve member 170 contacts and/or seals against (e.g., forms anannular seal with) the plug body 162.

Thus, the valve member 170 may act as a check valve (e.g., one-wayvalve, non-return valve) similar to the valve member 48 described abovewith respect to FIGS. 1-5. For example, the valve member 170 may remainin the closed position to block fluid flow across the VR plug assembly160 until a fluid pressure on a first side 174 of the seal member 172overcomes a biasing force of the biasing member 68 to drive the valvemember 170 into the illustrated open position 110. In the illustratedembodiment, fluid ports 176 extend radially through the plug body 162 tothe cavity 165. Thus, fluid (e.g., from the fluid source 30 viaoperation of the valve 28) may be provided into the cavity 165 via thefluid ports and/or fluid that passes through the VR plug assembly 160from the bore 18 may be extracted via the fluid ports 176. Each fluidport 176 may have a radius of at least 0.25, 0.27, 0.30, 0.38, or 0.5centimeters (cm), or between approximately 0.25 to 0.5, 0.27 to 0.45, or0.30 to 0.38 cm. Any suitable number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, or more) of fluid ports 176 may be positioned at discrete locationsabout the circumference of the plug body 162.

In certain embodiments, the VR plug assembly 160 may include features tofacilitate fluid flow across the VR plug assembly 160. For example, theVR plug assembly 160 may include one or more slots 180 (e.g.,axially-extending slots) formed in the plug body 162. In someembodiments, the one or more slots 180 may be open to the cavity 165and/or may provide a greater flow area (e.g., as compared to the plugbody 162 that is devoid of the one or more slots 180) between a stem 171of the valve member 170 and the plug body 162. In the illustratedembodiment, the one or more slots 180 are positioned between the sealmember 172 and the fluid ports 176 along the axial axis 34. However, itshould be understood that the one or more slots 180 may be positioned atany suitable axial location of the plug body 162. Any suitable number(e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more) of slots 180 may bepositioned at discrete locations about the circumference of the plugbody 162.

Additionally or alternatively, one or more passageways 184 (e.g.,radially and/or axially-extending holes) may be formed in the supportring 166. In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more passageways 184extend radially and axially from a first surface 186 (e.g., distalsurface, axially-facing surface) of the support ring 166 to a secondsurface 188 (e.g., radially-inner surface) of the support ring 166. Theconfiguration of the support ring 166 may enable the one or morepassageways 184 to have the illustrated angled orientation relative tothe axial axis 34, which may advantageously improve fluid flow and/orincrease flow area through the VR plug assembly 10. For example, aradius of at least one passageway 184 may be at least 0.25, 0.38, or 0.5cm and/or a flow area of at least one passageway 184 may be at least0.12, 0.15, 0.17, 0.2, 0.22, 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 square cm, or betweenapproximately 0.12 to 0.75, 0.15 to 0.5, or 0.17 to 0.25 square cm. Anysuitable number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more) ofpassageways 184 may be positioned at discrete locations about thecircumference of the support ring 166.

In the illustrated embodiment, a cap 190 is coupled (e.g., threadablycoupled via threads 192) to the plug body 162. The cap 190 may include arecess 194 (e.g., tool-engageable recess, such as a hex-shaped recess orpolygonal recess, that forms a torque-transfer interface) that isconfigured to receive a tool (e.g., the tool 116), and rotation of thetool may drive the cap 190 along the axial axis 34. In turn, the cap 190may contact and/or drive the valve member 170 along the axial axis 34 tomechanically compress the biasing member 168 and to drive the VR plugassembly 160 into the open position 110, thereby enabling fluid to flowacross the VR plug assembly 160. However, it should be understood thatthe various features of the VR plug assembly 160 shown in FIG. 6 may beutilized in the VR plug assembly 10 of FIGS. 1-4 and/or the VR plugassembly 150 of FIG. 5. For example, the support ring 166, theradially-extending fluid ports 176, the slots 180, and/or thepassageways 184 may be incorporated into the VR plug assembly 10 ofFIGS. 1-4 and/or the VR plug assembly 150 of FIG. 5. Similarly, any ofthe various features described above with respect to FIGS. 1-5 may beutilized in the VR plug assembly 160 of FIG. 6. Indeed, any of thevarious features described above with respect to FIGS. 1-6 may becombined in any suitable manner to form a VR plug assembly.

While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and have been described in detail herein.However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended tobe limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention isto cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the followingappended claims.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and appliedto material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature thatdemonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are notabstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claimsappended to the end of this specification contain one or more elementsdesignated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for[perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements areto be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claimscontaining elements designated in any other manner, it is intended thatsuch elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a flow controlassembly, comprising: a first portion comprising a first stem coupled toa valve member configured to open away from and close against a valveseat, wherein the valve portion is configured to be positioned withinand to be coupled to a first passageway formed in a wellhead component,the first stem extends away from the valve member through a centralopening of the valve seat into a chamber extending circumferentiallyaround the first stem; and a second portion configured to be coupled toa second passageway formed in a body that is configured to be coupled tothe wellhead component; wherein an actuator of the second portion isconfigured to rotate to drive the first stem and move the valve memberof the first portion into an open position away from the valve seat toenable fluid flow across the flow control assembly.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the valve member is configured to automatically returnto a closed position against the valve seat to block fluid flow acrossthe flow control assembly if the body separates from the wellheadcomponent.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprisesan annular plug body that is configured to be threadably coupled to thefirst passageway formed in the wellhead component, and the annular plugbody defines a cavity that houses the valve member.
 4. The system ofclaim 3, comprising a biasing member positioned within the cavity,wherein the biasing member is configured to bias the valve member towarda closed position against the valve seat to block fluid flow across theflow control assembly.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondportion comprises an annular energizing plug body that is configured tobe threadably coupled to the second passageway formed in the body, andthe annular energizing plug body defines a cavity that houses theactuator.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the actuator is threadablycoupled to the annular energizing plug body.
 7. The system of claim 6,wherein the actuator comprises a recess that is configured to receive atool, and rotation of the tool is configured to cause rotation of theactuator and to drive the actuator in an axial direction relative theannular energizing plug body.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein a tipportion of the actuator is configured to rotate against the first stem.9. The system of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to support avalve that is configured to adjust a flow of fluid from a fluid sourceinto the second passageway, wherein the flow of fluid from the fluidsource is configured to drive the valve member into the open position toenable the flow of fluid to travel across the flow control assembly intoa bore defined by the wellhead component.
 10. A flow control assembly,comprising: an annular plug body configured to be positioned within andto be coupled to a first passageway formed in a wellhead component; avalve member positioned within a first cavity of the annular plug body,wherein the valve member is configured to move in an axial directionrelative to the annular plug body between a closed position in which thevalve member forms an annular seal with the annular plug body to blockfluid flow across the flow control assembly and an open position inwhich a gap is provided between the valve member and the annular plugbody to enable fluid flow across the flow control assembly; an annularenergizing plug body configured to be positioned within and to becoupled to a second passageway formed in a body that is configured to becoupled to the wellhead component; and an actuator positioned within asecond cavity of the annular energizing plug body, wherein the actuatoris configured to move in the axial direction relative to the annularenergizing plug body to drive the valve member from the closed positionto the open position, the actuator is axially recessed in the annularenergizing plug body at least when the valve member is disposed in theclosed position, and the actuator is configured to disengage from thevalve member to enable the valve member to move from the open positionto the closed position when the body separates from the wellheadcomponent.
 11. The flow control assembly of claim 10, comprising abiasing member configured to bias the valve member toward the closedposition.
 12. The flow control assembly of claim 10, wherein the annularplug body is threadably coupled to the first passageway, the annularenergizing plug body is threadably coupled to the body, and the actuatoris threadably coupled to the annular energizing plug body.
 13. The flowcontrol assembly of claim 10, wherein the actuator is configured torotate and move in the axial direction to drive the valve member fromthe closed position to the open position.
 14. The flow control assemblyof claim 13, wherein the actuator comprises a recess that is configuredto receive a tool such that rotation of the tool causes rotation of theactuator and drives the actuator in the axial direction relative to theannular energizing plug body.
 15. The flow control assembly of claim 10,wherein the body is configured to support a valve that is configured toadjust a flow of fluid from a fluid source into the second passageway,and the flow of fluid from the fluid source is configured to drive thevalve member into the open position to enable the flow of fluid from thefluid source to travel across the flow control assembly into a boredefined by the wellhead component.
 16. The flow control assembly ofclaim 10, wherein the flow control assembly is a valve removal plugassembly and the wellhead component is a tubing head.
 17. A system,comprising: a body configured to be coupled to a wellhead component; aflow control assembly, comprising: a first portion configured to bepositioned within and to be coupled to a first passageway formed in thewellhead component, wherein the first portion comprises a valve having astem; a second portion positioned within and coupled to a secondpassageway formed in the body, wherein the second portion comprises anactuator disposed in an actuator body, and the stem extends axially intothe actuator body when the valve is in a closed position and the body iscoupled to the wellhead component; wherein the actuator of the secondportion is configured to engage the stem of the valve of the firstportion to cause the valve to move to an open position to enable fluidfrom a bore of the wellhead component to travel across the flow controlassembly, wherein separation of the body from the wellhead componentcauses the actuator to disengage from the stem to enable the valve tomove to the closed position in which fluid flow across the flow controlassembly is blocked.
 18. The system of claim 17, comprising a biasingmember configured to bias the valve of the first portion toward theclosed position.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the actuatorcomprises a recess that is configured to receive a tool such thatrotation of the tool causes rotation of the actuator and drives theactuator in an axial direction to engage the stem of the valve.
 20. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein the actuator is axially recessed in theactuator body at least when the valve is disposed in the closedposition.
 21. A system, comprising: a flow control assembly, comprising:a first portion configured to be positioned within and to be coupled toa first passageway formed in a wellhead component; and a second portionconfigured to be coupled to a second passageway formed in a body that isconfigured to be coupled to the wellhead component, wherein the secondportion comprises an annular energizing plug body that is configured tobe threadably coupled to the second passageway formed in the body;wherein an actuator of the second portion is configured to drive a valvemember of the first portion into an open position to enable fluid flowacross the flow control assembly, and the annular energizing plug bodydefines a cavity that houses the actuator.
 22. A flow control assembly,comprising: an annular plug body configured to be positioned within andto be coupled to a first passageway formed in a wellhead component; avalve member positioned within a first cavity of the annular plug body,wherein the valve member is configured to move in an axial directionrelative to the annular plug body between a closed position in which thevalve member forms an annular seal with the annular plug body to blockfluid flow across the flow control assembly and an open position inwhich a gap is provided between the valve member and the annular plugbody to enable fluid flow across the flow control assembly; an annularenergizing plug body configured to be positioned within and to becoupled to a second passageway formed in a body that is configured to becoupled to the wellhead component, wherein the body is configured tosupport a valve that is configured to adjust a flow of fluid from afluid source into the second passageway, and the flow of fluid from thefluid source is configured to drive the valve member into the openposition to enable the flow of fluid from the fluid source to travelacross the flow control assembly into a bore defined by the wellheadcomponent; and an actuator positioned within a second cavity of theannular energizing plug body, wherein the actuator is configured to movein the axial direction relative to the annular energizing plug body todrive the valve member from the closed position to the open position,and the actuator is configured to disengage from the valve member toenable the valve member to move from the open position to the closedposition when the body separates from the wellhead component.